How to Save at Sephora and SpaceNK.

I love good quality skincare and cosmetics and tend to buy most of them at Space NK and Sephora. Not cheap, but with a bit of planning ahead I manage to get a lot of things discounted as well as free goodies.
Want to know how? Here's a list of do's and dont's that I apply to my beauty shopping sprees.

. Do take advantage of sales. Sephora and Space NK have some bargains to be found online whenever sales are on. (So do Cult Beauty, another of my favorite retailers).

. Don't buy things that you don't need just because they are on sale and take your fancy. Always ask yourself "Do I need this? will I use/wear it?"

. Do sign up for customer loyalty/rewards programs. Space NK's Ndulge program keeps track of your purchases and gives you back  5% or 10%  to spend in store. Sephora's Beauty Insider scheme allows you to collect points that you can exchange for samples and minis. Both programs award you with a small birthday gift each year and send you email updates about special events, offers and sales.

. Do consider investing $10.00 in the Sephora Flash 2 day Shipping program. $10.00 gives you free shipping within the US for a year and it's valid on any order - you don't have to spend a certain amount for it to apply (allowing you to order items individually which means you can get more samples and weekly offers!)

. Do plan your shopping ahead. Rather than buying things on a whim keep a wish list and shop when promotions are on.

. Do take advantage of online coupon codes, and offers such as free shipping.

. Do take advantage of Gift with Purchase events by stocking up when these events are running but...

. Don't buy things that you don't need or won't use solely to get a free gift/ use a discount code.

. Do consider buying larger sized products if it's something that you use regularly. Work out the price per gram/ml and you will find it is often cheaper.

. Do take a look at value for money sets. Sephora have a good range of these and they offer good savings if you will use all the products in the box.

. Do consider using a referral website when shopping online. I have an Ebates account that pays me 2.5% on my Space NK purchases and 8% on my Sephora purchases.

. Don't forget to ask for some samples in store or add them to your basket online. Trying a product out for a few days is one of the best ways to avoid expensive mistakes.

. Do cultivate a relationship with sales assistants if you shop in store. They will alert you to sales and events and often offer you extra samples or GWPs but...

. Don't let sales assistants talk you into buying something that you don't wasn't/can't afford - it's OK to say "no" (but equally don't waste their time).

. Don't spend more than you can afford or buy things you won't use - this applies to everything not just beauty products - don't waste money!

Happy shopping!
sephora.com us.spacenk.com